DUSHANBE, 21.07.2022 (NIAT Khovar) — On July 21, the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, in the city of Cholpon-Ata of the Kyrgyz Republic, took part and spoke in the Fourth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

The meeting was attended by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

The heads of state discussed topical issues of strengthening interaction between the states of Central Asia in joint response to challenges and threats to regional security, prospects for expanding regional cooperation in order to ensure sustainable economic growth of the states of the region, the potential for good neighborly and friendly relations in the process of further development of the common cultural and humanitarian space of the region.

In his speech, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, noting the importance of holding Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia on a regular basis, stressed the importance of further progressive enhancement of regional cooperation based on historically established friendly and good neighborly relations.

The head of our state focused on the growing threats of terrorism, extremism, drug and arms trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of cross-border organized crime. Tendencies to plant the ideology of religious radicalism in the region, as well as the so-called «sleeping cells» of international terrorism and extremism, were named as a serious challenge to security.

The President of Tajikistan also raised the issue of the negative impact on the countries of the region of the processes taking place in Afghanistan. In this regard, the Leader of the Nation called for strengthening coordination between special services in order to create specific mechanisms for joint struggle against challenges and threats to regional security.

An important place in the speech of the Head of State was occupied by the issues of joint activities of the states of the region for the socio-economic development of Central Asia. In this context, attention was focused on the need to create favorable conditions for expanding trade, close cooperation ties, developing the transport and transit potential of the region and improving transport corridors to create favorable conditions for the movement of goods.

The President of Tajikistan spoke in favor of taking additional measures to develop a common cultural and humanitarian space in Central Asia. The need to boost cooperation between scientific institutions of the countries of the region in the development of applied disciplines, further enlargement of intercultural dialogue and joint promotion of the tangible and intangible cultural and natural heritage of the peoples of the countries of the region in the world was emphasized.

As a result of the Fourth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, the Joint Statement of the Heads of State, the Roadmap for the Development of Regional Cooperation for 2022-2024, the Concept of Interaction between the States of Central Asia within the framework of multilateral formats and the Regional Program «Green Agenda» for Central Asia were adopted.

The Decision of the Heads of the founding states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea on the extension of the powers of the President of IFAS, Emomali Rahmon, for one year was also signed.

The heads of state supported the proposal of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan to hold the Fifth Anniversary Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia on September 14-15, 2023 in the city of Dushanbe, which will be held simultaneously with the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State-Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.